Introduction to the topic of Effective Parent Councils:
The information regarding effective parent council groups is fractured, vague, and in many respects, shallow. Even defining a parent council proved an arduous task. What our group did conclude, is the metaphor of parent council groups as constellations is appropriate; there is not one, shining star that is the answer to effective parent councils. Instead, it is a constellation of factors, similar in that they combine to form a picture of more effective schools, but disimilar in that those factors making the parent council effective are dependant on context.
The research suggests that there is no overwhelming evidence supporting a correlation between parent council involvement in school and student achievement (see Corter & Pelletier, 2004; Pharis, Bass & Pate, 2005; Leithwood, Jantzi & Steinbach, 1998; Nygaard, 2010). However, Fullan (1997) notes that while the presence of school councils may not improve student achievement, "nothing motivates a child more than a climate in which learning is valued by a partnership pf school, family and community" (as cited in Pharis, Bass & Pate, 2005, p.35).
So, out focus question is born of this conundrum:
During the 1990s, departments of education in all the Canadian provinces introduced legislation requiring all publicly funded schools to form parent advisory councils
The reserach, however, provides little evidence to suggest that parent councils impact student achievement
So, what should the role of parent council groups in our schools be?
Introduction to the topic of Effective Parent Councils:
The information regarding effective parent council groups is fractured, vague, and in many respects, shallow. Even defining a parent council proved an arduous task. What our group did conclude, is the metaphor of parent council groups as constellations is appropriate; there is not one, shining star that is the answer to effective parent councils. Instead, it is a constellation of factors, similar in that they combine to form a picture of more effective schools, but disimilar in that those factors making the parent council effective are dependant on context.The research suggests that there is no overwhelming evidence supporting a correlation between parent council involvement in school and student achievement (see Corter & Pelletier, 2004; Pharis, Bass & Pate, 2005; Leithwood, Jantzi & Steinbach, 1998; Nygaard, 2010). However, Fullan (1997) notes that while the presence of school councils may not improve student achievement, "nothing motivates a child more than a climate in which learning is valued by a partnership pf school, family and community" (as cited in Pharis, Bass & Pate, 2005, p.35).
So, out focus question is born of this conundrum: